ISDS Case Map
public procurement
The United States is offering about 250 billion U.S. dollars worth of government procurement to Malaysia as the two countries is proceeding with the third round of negotiations of the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Australia wants access to Malaysia's government procurement market, which currently favors the country's majority ethnic Malays, enshrined in a free trade deal, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said.
Malaysia on Monday said it would issue a "big fat no" to any nation or group that asked it to dismantle a system of positive discrimination for its majority ethnic Malays as part of trade talks.
The European Union and the GCC wound up talks on a long stalled free trade deal yesterday without agreement on opening up the region's lucrative services sector.
Australia and New Zealand want a comprehensive free trade agreement with ASEAN, but some ASEAN nations have no competition policy, and reject any negotiations on intellectual property and government procurement.
Australia's support of the US in Iraq could help local companies crack the huge US government contract market, an American consultant on the US-Australia FTA says.
On liberalising services and investment, Thailand insists on adopting a "positive list" approach, where only those sectors explicitly outlined in the agreement would be opened. The US insists on a "negative list", under which all sectors are on the table except those listed as sensitive.
EPAs should serve as instruments for development and poverty reduction. They must also support the deepening of intra-African trade.
Press release from NZ government outlining key features of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore.
The Maryland General Assembly's override today rescinding Gov. Robert Ehrlich's 2003 commitment to allow Maryland's state procurement rules to be bound by pending trade agreements negotiated by the Bush administration and in previous trade agreements such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a victory for Maryland taxpayers and the latest evidence of state officials' growing demands for accountability in international trade negotiations, Public Citizen said today.
